User:DeanofPriddy/sandbox

The Drystones

The Drystones are a young folk duo from Somerset. They started performing in 2011 when they were just turning 16, and have played a lot of festivals in the West Country whilst still at school. They were formed when Dean Collier, Chairman of the Priddy Folk Festival needed to fill a slot at short notice at one of his venues in July 2011 and asked his son Ford if he could step up to the plate. He got together with Alex Garden a friend from school and The Drystones were formed. Alex and Ford both had a background in playing various instruments and in different styles. But with The Drystones they clearly found success in arranging lively jigs played on Guitar, Fiddle and Whistle.

In September 2011 they entered the Mid Somerset Battle of the Bands. They made it to the final on Sunday 23rd of October. They were easily the youngest contestants and the only purely acoustic band and found themselves up against techno, grunge, rap and heavy metal bands. But somehow they seemed to span the wildly different audiences and won over the judges and audience alike to win the contest. Over the coming years they cemented this success with experience playing beer festivals, weddings, pubs, and charity events, as well as an impressive list of music festivals (ten in 2013 including the Bath International Music Festival, Sunrise, Halsway Hothouse, The Village Pump Fest, and Purbeck). Whilst playing on the Avalon Café Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2013 they were spotted by Steve Lamacq and announced as his "recommendation of the day" on Radio 2.

They can also boast a guest performance on Radio 4's Today programme in the Somerset floods of 2014, and have played on BBC Radio Somerset several times with Emma Britton. They also have had a television appearance on a National Geographic fishing programme in 2013 "King Fishers".